28022019-btd-01.qxd 2/27/2019 11:34 PM Page 1 c m y b Bathinda TRIBUNE FOLK ARTS TO THE FORE AT CUP FOUNDATION WEEK PAGE 2 Students from different states perform dances at an event titled “Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat”. FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY INBRIEF CHARGES AGAINST DR SHEKHAWAT Bathinda: The court has framed charges against Dr GS Shekhawat, the accused in the case of his wife Dr Deepkshikha Shekhawat's suicide. Dr Deepshikha committed suicide on December 5, 2017, by setting herself on fire on the first floor of Pioneer Diagnostic Centre in the city. She died after a few days at Max Hospital. Later, relatives of Dr Deepshikha accused her husband Dr Gajendra Shekhawat of assaulting her as they had no child. A case under Sections 306 and 116 of the IPC was registered against Dr Shekhawat at the Civil Lines police station. TNS FUEL PRICES PETROL ~71.50 DIESEL ~65.80 WHAT’S ON BATHINDA KABBADI TOURNAMENT: The kabaddi carnival will enter Day 3. Matches will be played at the Multipurpose Sports Stadium in Bathinda; 10 am ATHLETIC MEET: The annual athletic meet will be organised at DAV College, Bathinda; 10 am Bathinda, February 27 Security arrangements at the Bathinda Central Jail have again come under the scanner with the seizure of a mobile phone from an inmate. Drug powder has also been recovered from a person entering the jail. A complaint lodged by officials of the Jail Department states that they had conducted a checking of the jail inmates during which a mobile phone was seized from inmate Iqbal Singh, a SUNSET THURSDAY 6:28 PM PAGE 4 Jaya Prada’s television debut show Perfect Pati has posed some hard-hitting questions. SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:57 AM THURSDAY | 28 FEBRUARY 2019 | BATHINDA MCB gets ~144.17-cr budget Infighting mars meet No new taxes |Lion’s share of expenses to go in salaries Sukhmeet Bhasin Tribune News Service Bathinda, February 27 The Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) approved a budget of Rs 144.17 crore for 2019-20 in the General House meeting held at MCB meeting hall on Wednesday. At the start of the budget meeting, Senior Deputy Mayor Tarsem Goyal presented a resolution to condemn the Pulwama attack, in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. Also, 2-minute silence was observed in remembrance of the martyrs. Another resolution was passed to appreciate the Indian Air Force strike on Pakistan. Meanwhile, no new tax has been imposed on city residents in the budget. Also, no new development project has been announced. The MCB is expected to get income of Rs 130 crore — Rs 91 crore from the state government as municipal funds and Rs 6 crore as power cess. Apart from this, the civic body is pinning hopes on property tax to get Rs11.50 crore, Rs 50 lakh from fire cess, Rs 3.15 crore from CLU, Rs1.5 crore from development charge, Rs 2.3 crore from advertisements, resident of Machena village in Sangat block. On the basis of the complaint, the police registered a case under Section 188 of the IPC and Section 52 of the Jail Manual Act at the Cantt police station. Also, a case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Cantt police station against Gurwinder Singh, a resident of Ferozepur, for carrying drug powder. He was hiding the powder in his turban. The accused has been arrested. Mayor Balwant Rai Nath, along with other officials, during the MCB General House meeting in Bathinda on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PAWAN SHARMA Rs1.55 crore from rent, Rs 2.5 crore from excise duty, Rs 4 crore from cow cess, Rs10.82 crore from outstanding water supply bills, Rs14 crore as building fee and Rs1.50 crore from building regularisation fee in the next financial year. The lion’s share of the budget, Rs77.3 crore, which is 53 per cent of the total budget, will go in paying salaries to employees. In contingency expenditure, the corporation is likely to spend Rs 20 lakh on stationery items, Rs 25 lakh on office power bill, Rs 15 lakh Bathinda, February 27 Councillors of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB), during the General House meeting held at the MCB meeting hall on Wednesday, cornered the mayor and other officials over not conducting development works in their wards. Councillor Anjana Rani and Harvinder Ganju Sharma alleged that corporation officials did not listen to them and they were sent from one department to other with their requests. They also alleged that despite asking the SDO and XEN repeatedly, works of their wards were not completed. Harvinder Ganju said there was a pothole in his area and it could cause a fatal mishap. He would hold the officials accountable if any such incident took place. Another councilor, Gursewak Mann, raised the issue of stray cattle menace at Jogger’s Park. Later, SAD councillor Santosh Mahant lashed out at the mayor and other officials for ignoring her ward. Mahant said she was the senior-most councillor in the House, but her ward had been ignored. She claimed that she had gone to SAD, Congress and BJP for her issues but nobody helped her. Residents came to her and fought over the poor condition of the ward, she rued. Meanwhile, Mayor Balwant Rai Nath tried to pacify everyone and asked the officials to complete all such work on priority. He told the councillors that they could come up to his office with their problems, instead of raising it in the meeting. Senior Deputy Mayor Tarsem Goyal also asked the officials to respect the councillors. ■ Deputy Mayor Gurinderpal Kaur Mangat raised objections during the meeting that Mayor Balwant Rai Nath did not take them into consideration before preparing the budget ■ Replying to this, the mayor claimed that he had visited Senior Deputy Mayor Tarsem Goyal’s house for the same and it was wrong to blame him on every issue ■ Goyal retaliated by saying that he seconded the deputy mayor’s thoughts as the mayor’s visit to his house was personal and he had only talked about calling the budget meeting. Nobody asked him anything about the budget, he said . on vehicle maintenance, Rs 3 lakh on telephone, Rs 30 lakh on computers and photostat machines, Rs 15 lakh on uniforms, Rs 11 lakh on furniture, Rs 4 lakh on insurance of vehicles, Rs 3 lakh on fire bridge, Rs 1 lakh on newspapers, Rs 3 lakh on advertisement and public notices and Rs 20 lakh on other expenditure. Councillor Santosh Mahant raises an issue during the General House meeting on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PAWAN SHARMA Debt-ridden civic body reeling under losses Sukhmeet Bhasin Tribune News Service Bathinda, February 27 The debt-ridden Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) is reeling under loans worth crores. The civic body has various outstanding loans, including Rs 105-crore loan from HUDCO and a Rs 52.45crore loan from Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB). The MCB had taken Rs 43.75 crore out of the Rs 105crore loan from HUDCO so far for the 100 per cent sewerage and water supply project in the city. Out of this amount, the corporation has MCB HAS HUGE LOANS TO REPAY ■ The civic body has various outstanding loans, including Rs 105-crore loan from HUDCO and a Rs 52.45-crore loan from Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) ■ The MCB had taken Rs 43.75 crore out of the Rs 105-crore loan from HUDCO so far for the 100 per cent sewerage and water supply project in the city. Out of this amount, the corporation has returned Rs 26.25 crore principal amount, along with Rs 11.43 crore interest so far returned Rs 26.25 crore principal amount, along with Rs 11.43 crore interest so far. To arrange funds for development projects, the MCB had sold its 21 acres of Pollution ❝The Punjabbanned Control Board Tribune News Service Traffic violations such as curtains/black films on windows are hardly checked by the traffic police. PHOTO: VIJAY KUMAR raids at regular intervals, only then the sale of pressure horns can be stopped.” He said, “Authorities also need to keep a check on bus operators who have installed pressure horns on their buses and should issue challans. Heavy vehicles, including trucks, also install pressure horns.” Buses plying with black films and curtains can be Tribune News Service MAYOR SIDELINED US: SR DEPUTY, DEPUTY MAYOR Use of pressure horns, black films on buses goes unchecked Bathinda, Februray 27 Despite a ban, private buses plying in the area continue to use pressure horns and black films unabated. Reason: The traffic violations are hardly being checked by the traffic police or the Transport Department. During a visit to the city bus stand, it was found that numerous buses were using black films or curtains on window panes. Use of pressure horns, which had been banned by the state government as it leads to noise pollution, was also going on. A Transport Department official, on the condition of anonymity, said “The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) banned the manufacturing and sale of pressure horns in July 2017. If the authorities maintain a strong vigil and conduct JAYA PRADA GLAD ABOUT SMALL SCREEN DEBUT The lure of ‘likes’ makes one post about one’s child on social media, but it entails dangers as well. MAX 18°C | MIN 5°C | YESTERDAY MAX 18°C | MIN 7°C Mobile, drug powder recovered from jail Tribune News Service PAGE 3 SHARE, BUT WITH CARE ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES seen having a free run in the region. Authorities concerned only swing into action when a heinous incident surfaces, such as the Delhi gang-rape (2012) or the Moga bus incident (2015). However, with the passage of time, things return back to basic, sources said. A bus operator said, “A number of bus operators the manufacturing and sale of pressure horns in July 2017. If the authorities maintain a strong vigil and conduct raids at regular intervals, only then the sale of pressure horns can be stopped. ❞ A Transport Department official use curtains and black films. If authorities concerned take action against all of them, only then can the guidelines be implemented completely. In luxury AC buses, it is the passengers who often complain about less cooling when there are no curtains.” Gurmeet Singh, SP Traf, fic, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. c m y b ■ To arrange funds for development projects, the MCB had sold its 21 acres of Blue Fox land to the PIDB in 2008, for which the latter had given Rs 40 crore as advance ■ Later, a resident filed a case in the High Court against the land deal and the court put a stay on it ■ Senior Deputy Mayor Tarsem Goyal raised the issue in the General House meeting and demanded that the state government convert the Rs 107-crore loan from PIDB into a grant to save the MCB Blue Fox land to the PIDB in 2008, for which the latter had given Rs 40 crore as advance. In 2011, the PIDB gave Rs 12.45 crore to the MCB against a grant which the state government was to give to the latter. Later, a resident filed a case in the High Court against the land deal and the court put a stay on it. The MCB then sold this land to the Bathinda Improvement Trust for Rs 82.47 crore. The Trust took loan from a bank and paid two installments of Rs 21.25 crore and Rs 2 crore to the civic body. It is learnt that this PIDB loan amount reached to more than Rs 100 crore with 12 per cent interest. In the General House meeting on Wednesday, Senior Deputy Mayor Tarsem Goyal raised the issue and demanded that the state government and Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal convert Rs 107-crore loan from PIDB into a grant to save the MCB. It is pertinent to mention that the state government had asked the MCB to return the Rs 52.45-crore loan, taken in 2008, to the PIDB with interest. The director of the Local Bodies Department had written to the Municipal Corporation, directing the latter to return the loan amount, with interest, to the PIDB at the earliest. It is also stated that if the MCB does not have the money to repay the loan, it can give any of its commercial open land, except Blue Fox land, in the city to the PIDB. The director has also demanded a list of MCB land sites.

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